BY HAMAH HOSEN- Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, an archipelago in the South Pacific voted for a second chance at independence. On October 4th, New Caledonia’s status as a French overseas territory was once again being challenged after its narrow fail vote in 2018. The choice … Continue readingTHE RESULTS OF NEW CALEDONIA’S INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM
The arrest of high-profile Australian journalist Cheng Lei in China on suspicion of ‘criminal activity endangering China’s national security’ triggered a series of events that was coined by some commentators as a unique diplomatic standoff. This included Australian correspondents, Bill Birtles and Mike Smith, being … Continue readingJOURNALISTS: PAWNS IN A VOLATILE CHESSBOARD?
On paper, a live-action remake of “Mulan” would have made a great film and a significant insight into Chinese culture. It could have been massively popular, particularly amongst Chinese audiences, and it could have perhaps made a lot of money for Disney and Hollywood. With … Continue readingThe controversy of Disney’s Mulan
AUSTRALIA’S FOREIGN POLICY NOT SO INDEPENDENT AFTER ALL Travelling to the US during Covid-19 is no small effort and by doing so Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Payne and Defence Minister Reynolds demonstrated just how important the Australia-US alliance is. The agenda at the Australia-US Ministerial … Continue readingAUSMIN 2020
Setting the scene: Since its inception, Russia has had the same geopolitical objective: push the West out and put as much distance between itself and the threatening great powers of Europe. Whilst this strategy has served Russia incredibly well by allowing it to reach its … Continue readingA SHIELD AGAINST THE RUSSIAN BEAR
The War on Drugs has arguably created more problems than solutions. The futile war on drugs campaign started with President Nixon’s announcement on June 18th, 1971 in an attempt to stop the rising drug imports into the United States and use of narcotics, particularly marijuana … Continue readingTHE WAR ON DRUGS FIVE DECADES ON
A growing ecological disaster is occurring as oil continues to leak from a grounded bulk carrier ship off the south-east coast of Mauritius. While the event is minor proportionate to the quantity of oil leaked, this event is believed to be one of the most … Continue readingIN THE WAKE OF CATASTROPHE
RECONCILING CULTURE, HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY “We do not, and cannot, aim to be ‘Asian’ or European or anything else but Australians.” – Paul Keating, 1994, Prime Minister 1991-1996. Who we are as a country and how we present ourselves to the world are questions Australia … Continue readingTHE AUSTRALIAN IDENTITY
AN INSIGHT INTO PRISON LABOUR BY HAMAH HOSEN These days, consumers are paying more attention to where and how products are made and it’s not uncommon to see products with labels identifying their country of origin, or occasionally a label identifying that it is ethically … Continue readingMADE IN PRISON
Last year, the War in Afghanistan became the longest war the United States had participated in. In 2020, there still seems to be no clear end in sight for the conflict, 19 years in. The Negotiations Thus Far: Sporadic peace-making efforts have occurred since the … Continue readingFALSE DAWN: THE PROSPECT OF PEACE IN AFGHANISTAN